Just a few miles south of the Canadian border (as the bald eagle flies) little more than a week ago, we settled into Lake Leo Campground, a small no-frills destination in the Colville National Forest.
Before too long we saw a woman pull in towing a 20-foot 2007 Jayco Jayflight travel trailer with a 2005 1/2-ton Chevy Silverado truck.
Because we had recently scoped out all the available sites, we knew there was only one left that we would have attempted to park that size rig … and she passed it up and never came back.
As a bit of background: Lake Leo has only eight modest sites, with maybe two having anything close to handling both that rig and vehicle (both are required to be parked completely on the site pad, off the single lane campground road).
Soon we spotted Colleen Lowing, and her 7-year-old son, Adam, walking down to pay their camping fee and asked how she managed to fit into the rather small spot she found.
“I have been towing trailers since I was 16,” said Colleen of Nelson, British Columbia. “My dad taught me how to tow and park a horse trailer. We had a three-horse angle load that was max-width for the road, so my travel trailer is pretty simple in comparison.”
Before too long Jimmy was talking about fishing and started showing them his gear and lures. Colleen indicated that Adam hadn’t been fishing for a while, so, of course, Jimmy offered to take him out in our 18-foot Wenonah Champlain canoe.
Because Colleen and Adam were staying only one night, a time was set for 9:30 a.m. the following day to fish for trout.
Once they arrived the next morning, man and boy wasted no time in getting out on the water. Jimmy paddled while Adam trolled for rainbow.
Colleen and I watched from shore as they circled the small lake, getting four bites and netting two rainbow. Not bad for an hour of day dreaming, fishing and making memories.
To read more about Colleen Lowing … click on an article on Women RVers: “Former competitive horsewoman Colleen Lowing easily handles truck, travel trailer.”
Photos: Top: Jimmy Smith and Adam fishing for rainbow on Lake Leo. Bottom: Adam, and mom, Colleen Lowing, of Nelson, B.C. (Julianne G. Crane)
